Cheese vat for preparing soft fresh cheese, and cutting frame for a cheese vat

ABSTRACT

A cheese vat for at least preparing curd for soft fresh cheese, comprising at least one cutting frame provided with a cutting wire system, which has a frame which has at least two opposite frame parts between which cutting wire sections extend, which frame parts are provided with openings form receiving a cutting wire, wherein the ends of a cutting wire are each fastened via pull relief means.

[0001] The invention relates to a cheese vat for at least preparing curdfor soft fresh cheese of the type that is usually designated as, forinstance, soft curd cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese or“Hüttenkäse”, comprising at least one cutting frame provided with acutting wire system, which has a frame having at least two oppositeframe parts between which cutting wire sections extend, which frameparts are provided with openings for receiving a cutting wire.

[0002] Such an apparatus usually comprises an elongated horizontal tank,to which, in operation, skimmed milk is supplied. In the tank, means arepresent for stirring the milk and stirring and cutting the curd formedin the tank after adding rennet respectively. Examples of apparatusesfor preparing cottage cheese and the like are described in EP-A-0398836and FR-A-2623056. Further, applicant's Tetra Tebel O-vat is known frompractice. The Tetra Tebel O-vat is a closed curd preparation apparatusfor cottage cheese curd or cottage cheese. For cutting the curd, use ismade of cutting wires of rustproof steel. The cutting wires aretensioned on the cutting frames, which are arranged for radially andlongitudinally cutting the curd in the tank. A suitable wire diameteris, for instance, 0.5 mm and the wires of a cutting frame are usually 8to 12 mm spaced apart. Usually, one of the cutting frames is providedwith two sets of cutting wires extending crosswise. Normally, this holdstrue for the cutting frame which cuts the curd in a longitudinaldirection. For this purpose, the respective cutting frame is providedwith a set of horizontal and a set of vertical cutting wires. In rest,this cutting frame is in a vertical position at one of the ends of thetank, and, at the moment that a longitudinal cutting operation isneeded, it is moved through the curd from one end of the tank to theother end of the tank. Thus, the curd is cut into elongated horizontalbars. Through the operation of the radial cutting frame, which comprisesa large number of parallel cutting wires and which can rotate about ahorizontal axis extending above the curd level, the bars are cut intocubes. The cutting operations serve to promote the draining of whey. Thestirring means are arranged to carefully stir the milk and the whey-curdmixture respectively.

[0003] In the preparation of cottage cheese or the like, the curd isheated and is washed with water a number of times, and cream is added.All these steps can be carried out in one and the same tank, which thendirectly provides the final product. However, it is also possible to useseparate apparatuses for specific steps of the cheese productionprocess, following the apparatus in which the curd is formed and cut.The invention relates to a cheese vat in which curd for cottage cheeseor similar cheese is at least cut using cutting frames, irrespective ofwhether other steps of the cheese production process also take place inthe cheese vat. It is also possible for the whole cheese productionprocess to take place in the cheese vat. In that case, the invention isalso applicable.

[0004] A problem of the known cheese vats for the production of (curdfor) cottage cheese or the like is the attachment of the cutting wires.Usually, the wires are run through openings in the frame parts of thecutting frame or through eyes or the like and the free ends of theneighboring wires or a wire loop formed by the cutting wire are twistedtogether on the outside of the frame to fix the cutting wires andtension them and keep them tensioned. Also, sometimes, wire ends aretied together, whether or not followed by twisting together.

[0005] However, such tied and/or twisted wires are difficult to clean asa consequence of the gaps and cavities arising between the twisted wiresections. This problem can at least partly be solved by filling the gapsand cavities of the twisted wire sections with silver solder. A drawbackof this solution is that, generally, repair of a broken cutting wirecannot take place in the cheese factory. Another drawback is that silversolder disappears in time because it dissolves in the cleaning agentsused.

[0006] Usually, relatively short wires are used, which extend from afirst frame part to a second frame part located opposite the first framepart and back again to the first frame part. The free ends ofneighboring wires are interconnected on the outside of the first framepart, for instance by twisting the ends together. An advantage of thisconstruction is that, in the case of wire breakage, only a short pieceof cutting wire needs to be replaced. A drawback, however, is that alarge number of wire connections need to be made. Here, also, theassociated problems with regard to cleaning arise.

[0007] It is an object of the invention to obviate the problem describedand, in general, to provide a simply and effectively cleanable cheesevat comprising at least one cutting frame provided with cutting wires.For this purpose, according to the invention, a cheese vat of theabove-described type is characterized in that the ends of a cutting wireare each fastened via pull relief means.

[0008] In the following, the invention will be described in more detailwith reference to the appended drawing of a few exemplary embodiments.

[0009]FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a partly cutaway side elevationalview of a cheese vat for preparing curd for soft fresh cheese;

[0010]FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows a cross section along the line II-IIin FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows a view of a cutting frame sectionfor a cheese vat of the type shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 provided with anexample of a wire-connecting apparatus according to the invention;

[0012]FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 diagrammatically show, in front and top planview, an example of a cutting frame section according to the invention;

[0013]FIG. 6 diagrammatically shows an example of a pull relief elementfor use in an apparatus according to the invention;

[0014]FIG. 7 diagrammatically shows another example of a pull reliefelement;

[0015]FIG. 8 diagrammatically shows a cross section along the line IV-IVin FIG. 4; and

[0016]FIG. 9 diagrammatically shows a variant of FIG. 3.

[0017]FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a partly cutaway side elevationalview of a cheese vat 1 for preparing soft cheese, or curd for softcheese. The cheese vat shown has a lower part 2 having an elongatedbathtub-like shape, and a superstructure 3 placed on the lower part. Inthe lower part, the curd preparation takes place. The upper part closesoff the cheese vat and is provided with manholes, optionally a CIP(cleaning-in-place) system, etc. Situated in the lower part, is a firstcutting frame 4 movable in a longitudinal direction (arrow P), which, ascan be seen in FIG. 2, in this example, is provided with both ahorizontal and a vertical wire stringing 5 and 6 respectively. Thecutting frame 4 is movable from one end wall 8 to the other end wall 9and back. For this purpose, driving means known per se, but not furthershown, are present.

[0018] Further, a horizontal central longitudinal axis 10 extends in thelongitudinal direction over the lower part, which axis carries a secondcutting frame 11. The second cutting frame 11 has a position of rest inwhich it is located above the curd surface, and can be rotated downwardsfrom that position of rest to a vertical position directed downwards (asshown in FIG. 1), and then upwards again to a position located above thecurd surface, in order to cut the curd present in the cheese vat. In theexample shown, the rotatable cutting frame has a number of sections A toI. In this example, the rotatable cutting frame has a wire stringingwith wires 12 extending transversely to the horizontal axis 10. Thecutting frames are usually manufactured from rustproof steel.

[0019] In the known cheese vats, the cutting wires of a cutting frameare formed by relatively short wires, which are run through openings inopposite frame parts of the cutting frame. Each wire thus comprises asmall number of wire sections, for instance 1 to 2, between the oppositeframe parts.

[0020] The wires are connected to neighboring wires by twisting and/ortying the ends together or the like and then optionally securing them bysoldering.

[0021] According to one aspect of the invention, relatively long wiresare used, each comprising a large number of wire sections between twoopposite frame parts. An example would be wires with, for instance, 25to 35 sections. It is possible to use more sections or, conversely,fewer sections. The ends of a wire can be connected to a preceding and afollowing wire, but, preferably, the two ends of a wire are connected toa neighboring frame part or to each other.

[0022] An example of the latter method is diagrammatically shown in FIG.3. FIG. 3 shows a view of a cutting frame section 20, used as a testsection, for a rotatable cutting frame for a curd preparation vat. Theframe of the cutting frame section shown comprises two parallel sidestrips 22,23 extending transversely to the rotation axis 21 of thecutting frame. Near the end of the cutting frame section proximal to therotation axis and at the end of the cutting frame section remote fromthe rotation axis, each time, a cross connection element, for instance across strip or cross beam 24,25 has been provided. Further, in theexample shown, intermediate strip-shaped cross connection elements 26,27have been used. In a practical embodiment, the side strips can, forinstance, have a length of the order of, for instance, 1 m, and thecross strips can have a length of the order of, for instance, 1.25 m.The frame parts are designed as a curd-cutting knife operative in atleast one direction.

[0023] The cutting wire sections extend between the inner cross strip 24and the outer cross strip 25 of the frame of the cutting frame. For thispurpose, openings are provided in the cross strips, for instance anumber of throughbores located next to one another. In the exampleshown, the cross strips 24 and 25 each have twenty-five bores. Thesingle cutting wire 30 is woven through the openings of the cross strips24 and 25 from the top left in the drawing to the top right, so that,eventually, in this example, also, twenty-five wire sections locatednext to one another extend between the cross strips 24 and 25. It isnoted that, unlike in the test section shown, in a practical embodiment,the cutting wires take up the whole area between the side strips.Further, the distance between the cross strips can be adjustable byadjusting means, so that the tension of the cutting wires is adjustable.The two ends 31 and 32 of the cutting wire 30 have been led through thetwo outer lead-through openings in the cross strip 24 and are locatedbeyond the inner cross strip 24, i.e. on the side of the cross strip 24facing away from the other cross strip 25. In this example, further, theends 31 and 32 have each been led over a spacer 33, 34, which have beenprovided on the side of the inner cross strip 24 facing the rotationaxis and are, in this example, interconnected between the spacers by aconnecting element 35. Like the (edges of the) lead-through openings,the spacers act as pull reliefs. The pull-relief action can be increasedby wrapping the cutting wire partly, or even a number of times, around asuitable part of the spacer or around a separate pull relief.

[0024] The connecting element 35, which connects the wire ends in themanner of a kind of necklace, is not shown in detail, but can, forinstance, comprise a central tubular body 37, which is provided, on bothends, with, for instance, screw thread, a clamp fastener, or a bayonetcatch or the like for cooperation with suitable locking caps. Thelocking caps can each be provided with an end plate, which at leastpartly consists of a material pierceable by a cutting wire or a needleor the like. For each locking cap, as an end plate, for instance, a disccan be used from a material having such properties that a cutting wirecan be run through the disc through an optionally preformed opening,while preserving the sealing action of the locking cap. The disc can bemanufactured from, for instance, rubber or a suitable syntheticmaterial. However, the connecting element can also consist of a floatingblock of rustproof steel 100, on which the cutting wire ends 101,102have been welded down (FIG. 9).

[0025] The ends 31 and 32 of a cutting wire reach into the interior partof the tubular body 37 and are interconnected there in a manner notfurther shown, for instance by tying and/or twisting together and/orsoldering etc. Since the interior part of the connecting element iscompletely closed off in the operative condition shown, the wireconnection cannot become polluted and neither can a possibly usedsoldering material dissolve in the cleaning fluid.

[0026]FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 diagrammatically show, in front view and in sideelevational view, an example of a section for a cutting frame for acheese vat according to the invention. In FIG. 4, a part of the cuttingwire stringing has been omitted. Like the cutting frame section of FIG.3, the cutting frame section shown comprises a frame with two sidestrips 70,71, an inner and an outer cross strip 72,73, a girder 74 and anumber of intermediate radial strips 75 as well as a number ofintermediate cross strips 76. The frame parts are again designed as acurd-cutting knife operative in at least one direction of movement.

[0027] The girder 74 is provided with attachment lips 77 for attachingthe cutting frame section to a central driving shaft. Further, in thisexample, the girder is connected to the rest of the cutting framesection via bent ends 78 of the side strips and via a number ofintermediate pieces 79.

[0028] In the example shown, the cutting frame section is provided withsix long wires, which each comprise a large number of wire sections, inthis example 26. In this example, the free ends of the wires are alwayson the inner cross strip 72, which, like the outer cross strip and theintermediate cross strips, is provided with run-through openings for thecutting wires. In FIG. 5, the run-through openings in the inner crossstrip are generally designated by 80.

[0029] In this example, the free ends of a cutting wire are not attachedto each other or to the corresponding ends of neighboring wires, but areled via pull relief, i.e. tension-reducing, means and are attached tothe inner cross strip itself by welding. Pull relief can be obtained bywrapping the cutting wire around, for instance, a rod-shaped element,which may or may not be part of a spacer. Instead of directly to theinner cross strip, the wire could also be welded to the spacer or pullrelief itself, as diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0030]FIG. 6 shows, in top plan view, a rod-shaped pull relief 81provided on a frame strip 72. A cutting wire end is partly wrappedaround the rod 81 and welded down on the rod by the free end at 82.

[0031]FIG. 7 shows a frame strip 72 in longitudinal cross section with apull relief 83 on it, which also serves as a spacer. In this example, anopening 84 has been provided in the plate-shaped pull relief, throughwhich an end 31,32 of a cutting wire has been led. The free end of thecutting wire has been welded down on the strip at 85. With theattachment method used in the example of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, no separatespacer has been used. In this example, the pull relief, which isdesirable because the cutting wire may lose strength near the weld dueto the welding process, has been obtained by leading a cutting wire endto be fastened through two extra openings in the inner frame strip 72and only welding it down beyond those openings.

[0032] This attachment method is diagrammatically shown in more detailin FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows a part of a cutting frame section located nearthe central rotation axis. As already described hereinabove, viaintermediate pieces 79, the inner cross strip is connected to a girder74, which in turn is provided with attachment lips 77. The strip 72 hasopenings 80 located next to one another in a long row in the mannershown in FIG. 5. In the example shown, in each series of openingslocated between two connection sites of a cutting wire, each time, twoslightly staggered openings have been provided, as shown at 90 in FIG.5. These staggered openings indicate the middle of a cutting wire andform an aid for providing the cutting wire. Further, at a distance fromthe staggered openings, at the location of the ends of a cutting wire,extra openings 91 have been provided, which are each located next to aregular opening 80. The openings 91 are indicated in FIG. 5 and oneopening 91 is shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, in this example, theopening 91 is, for instance, located between the narrow edge surface 92of the strip 72 and a regular opening 80. The end of a cutting wire 30,coming from the outer cross strip 73, has been led through the opening80 shown and has then been run from the top surface 86 of the strip 72through the opening 91. The cutting wire end thus led through theopening 91 and pointing downwards (in the orientation of FIG. 8) has, inthis example, subsequently been bent along the bottom side 93 of thestrip and pointing to the edge surface 92. Finally, in this example, thecutting wire end has further been bent around the edge 94 between thebottom surface 93 and the narrow edge surface 92 and welded down on thenarrow edge surface 92 at 95. The edges of the openings 80 and 91 andthe edge 94 act as pull relief so that the pulling force which is, inoperation, exerted on the weld and on the cutting wire end connected tothe weld is reduced.

[0033] Further, the wire sections 96,97 located between the openings 80and 91 and between the opening 91 and the edge 94 respectively do notlie flat on the strip surfaces 86 and 93, because the cutting wire hasthe natural tendency to bulge slightly between two successive edges. Theinterspace thus obtained between the strip surface and the cutting wireis rinsable with a suitable cleaning agent, allowing an effectivecleaning of the mounted cutting frame.

[0034] It is noted that, alternatively, the cutting wire could also bewelded down on the bottom surface 93 or the top surface 86 of the strip72. Also, the wire could be led through more than two openings before itis welded down, or, conversely, through one opening only. The number ofedges around which the wire has been bent before it is welded down isrelated to the degree of pull relief occurring. As already indicatedhereinabove, the edges can be both edges of openings and edges (such as94) of the strip. In FIG. 7, these are actually edges of a special pullrelief element 83.

[0035] In the situation of FIG. 8, if a relatively small degree of pullrelief is needed, after being run through the opening 80, the cuttingwire could, for instance, be bent around the narrow edge surface 92 ofthe strip 72 to be welded down on the bottom side of the strip 72.Several variants are readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

[0036] The welding preferably takes place without addition of extrawelding material.

[0037] In general, according to the invention, the desired pull reliefaction is obtained by having a cutting wire end undergo a change ofdirection of the order of approximately 90° or more between the lastcutting section and the site where the end of the cutting wire isfastened. Here, the change of direction can comprise multiple steps ofapproximately 90° (FIG. 8) or of less than approximately 90° (FIGS. 3,6, 7). By using pull relief means for the cutting wires of a cheese vatas described hereinabove, the chance of wire breakage near theattachment site of the wires is reduced. Also, the connection of acutting wire end with another cutting wire end or with the frame of acutting frame or the like is less loaded, resulting in more freedom ofchoice for the manner of attachment.

[0038] It is noted that, in principle, the manners described offastening the cutting wires are also applicable if much shorter cuttingwires are used, which comprise only a small number of cutting wiresections.

[0039] It is further noted that, after the foregoing, variousmodifications are readily apparent to a person skilled in the art. Inparticular, for the length of the cutting wire and for the pull reliefmeans, many variants are conceivable without departing from the scope ofthe inventive concept. The length of a cutting wire is preferably suchthat a cutting wire comprises five or more, preferably 10 or more, andmore preferably between 20 and 30 cutting sections.

1. A cutting frame for a cheese vat for at least preparing curd for softfresh cheese, which cutting frame comprises a cutting wire system, andhas a frame having at least two opposite frame parts between whichcutting wire sections extend, which frame parts are provided withopenings for receiving a cutting wire, wherein the ends of a cuttingwire are each fastened via pull relief means.
 2. A cutting frameaccording to claim 1, wherein the length of a cutting wire is greatcompared to the length of a cutting wire section.
 3. A cutting frameaccording to claim 2, wherein a cutting wire comprises five or more,preferably 10 or more cutting wire sections.
 4. A cutting frameaccording to claim 3, wherein a cutting wire comprises between 20 and 30cutting wire sections.
 5. A cutting frame according to claim 1, whereinthe pull relief means comprise at least one edge of at least one openingin a frame part.
 6. A cutting frame according to claim 1, wherein thepull relief means comprise an opening in a pull relief element providedon the frame.
 7. A cutting frame according to claim 1, wherein the pullrelief means comprise a rod-shaped element, which is attached to theframe, wherein a cutting wire end has been wrapped over at least a partof the circumference of the rod-shaped element.
 8. A cutting frameaccording to claim 1, wherein the ends of a cutting wire areinterconnected by means of a wire-connecting element.
 9. A cutting frameaccording to claim 8, wherein the wire-connecting element comprises aclosable housing, inside which the cutting wire ends have been fastened.10. A cutting frame according to claim 8, wherein the wire-connectingelement comprises a floating block of rustproof steel on which thecutting wire ends have been fastened.
 11. A cutting frame according toclaim 1, wherein the cutting wire ends have been fastened by welding.12. A cutting frame according to claim 1, wherein the opposite frameparts are provided with a number of series of openings located next toone another in a row for receiving a cutting wire, wherein, near theouter openings of each series, on one of the frame parts, pull reliefmeans have been provided via which the corresponding cutting wire endshave been led, wherein the cutting wire ends have been welded down onthe respective frame part beyond the pull relief means.
 13. A cuttingframe according to claim 12, wherein the pull relief means comprise atleast one edge of the frame part.
 14. A cutting frame according to claim12, wherein the pull relief means comprise at least one extra openingprovided near each outer opening, wherein a cutting wire end has firstbeen led through one of the said outer openings and has subsequentlybeen led through the at least one extra opening, and the cutting wireend reaching beyond the extra opening has been welded down.
 15. Acutting frame according to claim 14, wherein, between the exit of theextra opening and the welding site, the cutting wire end reaching beyondthe extra opening has been bent around at least one edge of the framepart and/or of the further opening provided in it.
 16. A cutting frameaccording to claim 15, wherein the cutting wire ends have been weldeddown without addition of separate welding material.
 17. A cutting frameaccording claim 1, wherein a cutting wire end shows a change ofdirection of the order of approximately 90° or more between theneighboring cutting section of the respective cutting wire and the sitewhere the cutting wire end has been fastened.
 18. A cheese vat for atleast preparing curd for soft fresh cheese comprising at least onecutting frame according to claim 1.